At a time when higher education
funding is once again in jeopardy, one proposition on the Feb. 5
ballot seeks to reduce community college course fees, limit future
fee increases and boost funding for the nation's largest public
higher education system.
Hardly anyone disputes that the 109 public community colleges in
California are underfunded, but this initiative underscores
disagreement over the right time and the right way to fix that. The
state's two largest teachers unions are divided over Proposition 92,
as are business groups.
| AT ISSUE: COMMUNITY
COLLEGE INITIATIVE
Proposition 92 on the Feb. 5 ballot asks California
voters to lower the fees students pay for community
college courses from $20 a unit to $15. It would limit
future fee increases.
The measure would change the current minimum funding
formula for public community colleges, resulting in
about $900 million in additional state spending over
three years. It would establish community colleges in
the state Constitution; increase the size of the
system's governing board and broaden the board's
authority over its staff and budget.
Proponents: Community colleges are underfunded
and students pay too much in fees. The measure provides
stable funding and makes fees less susceptible to state
budget battles.
Opponents: The measure locks up more state
money at a time when California is facing a $14.5
billion budget deficit, and it could divert money from
other programs. The proposed funding formula is flawed.
| |
California's
community colleges serve more than 2.6 million students, or more
than three-fourths of the state's enrollment in public higher
education.
“The initiative came about because year after year, community
colleges are underfunded,” said Andrew Acosta, spokesman for the Yes
on Proposition 92 campaign, a coalition of community college
organizations, faculty unions and others. “And when California faces
any sort of budget problems, community college students end up
paying the price.”
In addition to rolling back fees paid by students, the measure
changes the minimum education funding guarantee for community
colleges under Proposition 98, which was passed by voters in 1988.
State support for community colleges is $6.2 billion for 2007-08
after subtracting the governor's proposed $40 million in midyear
cuts, said Erik Skinner, the system's vice chancellor of finance and
facilities planning. This includes both Proposition 98 and property
tax revenue, but not student fees or federal aid.
The formula for Proposition 98 calculates a minimum level of
annual state financial support for both
kindergarten-through-12th-grade schools and community colleges
combined based on changes in the economy and K-12 attendance.
Proposition 92 would make two important changes: It would split
the guarantee into two parts, one for K-12 and one for community
colleges. The measure then would calculate the new funding level for
community colleges based on growth in the young-adult population,
which is expected to rise in the next few years, rather than K-12
attendance, which is expected to decline, according to the
Legislative Analyst's Office.
The state analyst estimates
Proposition 92 would result in additional state spending of about
$900 million over three years on K-12 schools and community
colleges.
“It fixes a big flaw in the existing formula,” said Scott Lay,
president of the nonprofit Community College League of California,
which helped craft Proposition 92. “The problem is that K-12 is
growing more slowly than community colleges.”
The proposition has drawn plenty of critics. David Sanchez,
president of the California Teachers Association, said the
initiative could divert funding from K-12 education, and from the
California State University and University of California systems.
“They've got to get the money from somewhere,” Sanchez said.
The CSU trustees and UC regents have opposed the measure for
similar reasons.
Sanchez said that normally the CTA, the state's largest teachers
union, and the California Federation of Teachers, the second
largest, are on the same side on political issues, but not in this
case. The California Federation of Teachers supports the measure.
Thirty percent of its members teach at community colleges.
A similar split has occurred among business groups. Some groups
support Proposition 92, such as the San Diego East County Chamber of
Commerce, while the California Chamber of Commerce opposes it.
“It locks in huge new state spending with no way to pay for it,”
said Denise Davis, a spokeswoman for the statewide business
organization. “We're concerned that it's adding spending in a year
when we're facing a huge budget deficit.”
The Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that Proposition 92
would cost community colleges about $70 million a year in lost
revenue from reduced course fees.
The initiative would cut those fees from $20 per unit to $15.
Under the initiative, a full-time student taking 15 units a semester
would pay $450 in annual fees instead of $600.
The measure would permit fee increases only under specific and
infrequent circumstances.
“Currently, the fees are preventing a lot of students from coming
to community college – especially for the average community college
student living from paycheck to paycheck,” said Clemente Valdez,
student body president of San Diego City College. “Twenty dollars a
unit can restrict them from taking as many classes as they want.”
Before 1984, there were no course fees. In the past decade,
students have been charged fees ranging from $11 a unit to $26 a
unit for community college classes.
About one-quarter of community college students qualify for fee
waivers because they demonstrate financial need, according to the
state Legislative Analyst's Office.
Terry Burgess, president of San Diego City College, said many
economically struggling students do not qualify.
“You'd be amazed at how little you can earn to get a fee waiver,”
Burgess said.
California community colleges charge the lowest fees in the
nation.
A March 2007 report by the National Center for Public Policy and
Higher Education found that fees represent less than 5 percent of
the total cost of attendance for a typical community college
student, but other expenses such as textbooks, medical care, child
care and rent are rising.
Proposition 92 also establishes the community college system in
the state Constitution to protect its governance structure from
being dismantled – something that has been proposed previously by
state political leaders.
It would expand the system's voting board of governors and give
the board more authority over its staff and budget.
Proponents of Proposition 92 have raised more than $4 million,
while opponents raised more than $2 million.
Sherry Saavedra: (619) 542-4598; sherry.saavedra@uniontrib.com
